Hundreds excluded from ‘antisocial’ forum

By Matthew Tempest, The Guardian, 15 October 2004

A near stampede marred the opening ceremony of the 2004 European
Social Forum in London last night, as up to a thousand rain-soaked
activists were barred entry to the Southwark Cathedral reception. Up
to two thousand delegates queued in the London dusk and repeated
cloudbursts for the event which was due to kick off the three-day
conference of European global justice activists, only to find around
half turned away. A potentially dangerous bottleneck was created as
organisers only admitted one guest at a time, after a bag search, from
a scrum of several hundred outside.

At first oblivious to the crushed crowd still waiting outside, the
speakers, including Ken Livingstone, Gerry Adams and Che Guevara's
daughter, Aleida, began half-an-hour late. Repeated attempts to ram
the door, chants and slow handclaps echoing from the cathedral
graveyard then reduced the opening ceremony to a state of semi-siege
as wet and disgruntled delegates, numbering at least as many as were
in the building, protested against the poor organisation of the ESF
outside.

There was no apparent threat of the direct action tactics of the May
Day protests, but a mood of dejection and chaos forced organisers
inside to apologise that the cathedral was the largest venue we
could book.

One usher confided that it was bigger than when Nelson Mandela came
here.

On stage, Ken Livingstone welcomed guests from across Europe to what
he called the largest conference in the history of Britain in over
2,000 years. The three-day gathering will see 500 events held in
the capital.

He told the radical congregation of around 1,000 that there was
still a queue thousands long in London yesterday evening to
register for accreditation, and that today's attendance for the
first full day of the conference of grassroots socialists,
environmentalists and anti-globalisation campaigners would be
20,000 to 30,000.

To cheers, he joked that the last few days the media has woken up
to the ESF—because my press officers have been rung incessantly
to ask ‘how much is it costing’?

Let me tell you—it costs less than the G8 [which the UK will
be hosting at Gleneagles next year] or the arms fair in London 18
months ago ... and if the media pay for entry, it will help defray the
costs!

Reflecting his view from his exclusive Guardian Unlimited interview
yesterday, that Europe's young were far from politically
apathetic, Mr Livingstone boasted that the 5,000 delegates camping
down in the Dome last night made it the biggest youth hostel in
Europe,

With a panel of Frances O' Grady, the TUC deputy general
secretary; Dr Aleida Guevara, the daughter of the late revolutionary
Che; and globalisation academic Susan George; Mr Livingstone suggested
that the war on Saddam Hussein was precipitated by the Iraqi
dictator's decision to switch the sales of oil from dollars to
euros.

Mr Livingstone said : Within my lifetime there will be a challenge
against the dollar. China will emerge and say ‘why trade in
dollars?’

Within a generation it will be the most dangerous time in world
history,

Turning to the operation of world markets, he added: All the people
in the world have an interest in overthrowing the existing financial
regime of the IMF and the World Bank,

Before introducing Dr Guevara, the mayor revealed that in the last
year of his current term, 2008, the Greater London authority would
commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Cuban revolution.

Dr Guevara told the audience through a translator: Socialism is
still a possibility. Solidary is of paramount importance,

She quoted Mother Teresa to an audience of peace activists hailing
from Russia, Poland, France, the UK, Spain, Germany, Australia and the
US.

Today's opening seminars, workshops, plenary sessions, concerts
and films will test rumours that 36 hours of heavy downpours in the
capital have left several of the venues and marquees at Alexandra
Palace partially flooded.

Chaotic Olympiad of the Fringe and Commune begins European Social
Forum

By John Vidal, The Guardian, 15 October 2004

Chaos reigned as an estimated 10,000 people converged in London for
the third European social forum with delays, frustration and problems
at three venues.

Despite a welcome from Ken Livingstone, the mayor of London, who
praised the forum's diversity, many visitors were bemused by a
lack of organisation, which reflected badly on a capital bidding for
the Olympic Games.

The chaos began early when 6,000 of the mainly young people attending
the three-day forum (ESF) had to queue for many hours in the rain to
register and collect passes at the Conway Hall in central London.
Because only 900 are allowed in at a time, the police were called to
clear the premises. Fights ensued, and a man was arrested.

Things got out of control. We were invaded by the Socialist Workers
party, said Mary Fee, spokeswoman for the Solidarity village, an
autonomous space at the hall hoping to set up an alternative
currency for participants.

As organisers announced that the Israeli whistleblower Mordechai
Vanunu would address a meeting tomorrow, Mr Livingstone denied that
the forum was being taken over by British leftist groups.

The ESF is far too big and diverse to be swamped by any one
viewpoint, he said. The global justice movement will be
reflected in the different debates and speakers.

The gathering gets into gear today and is expected to attract 1,000
groups, 350 of them British. The first two forums, in Florence and
Paris, each attracted 50,000 participants. The Guardian is the
forum's media partner.

However, criticisms of logis-tics dominated the discussions which
started last night at Southwark cathedral with the formal opening by
Mr Livingstone, Che Guevara's daughter, Aleida, Gerry Adams, and
others.

Frustrations seethed over as more than 1,500 people were kept waiting
in the rain and then refused entry to hear the opening speeches.

And earlier hundreds who made their way to Alexandra Palace in north
London, the venue for many of the 2,000 events, found only security
guards and workmen.

There is not one sign anywhere. The shuttle buses are not
working. It seems there is no organisation, said Juan Blanco, a
Spanish doctor. No one knows what is going on. Compared to Paris
this stinks.

But as some battled with transport, others were de-lighted by the vast
choice. I have never seen such a programme, said Roberto, who
arrived from Spain yesterday.

This is like the Olympics of politics and culture, a cross between
the Edinburgh Festival and the Paris Commune. There is too much for
three days, but this is a good sign for social justice in Europe. The
movement is vibrant.

Back at Southwark, Mr Livingstone said: We expect 20–30,000
delegates. In the last few days the media has woken up to the ESF. I
know that because my press officers have been inundated with calls
asking ‘How much will it cost?’

I tell you this, it will cost less than the G8 or last year's
arms fair in London, he said to loud cheers.

And he offered a warning, claiming that Saddam Hussein's decision
to sell Iraqi oil in euros rather than dollars precipitated the
US decision to topple him.

Within my life time there will be a challenge against the
dollar. China will emerge and say ‘Why should we trade in
dollars?’ It will be the most dangerous time in world
history.

He told the crowds—as he introduced Ms Guevera—that in
2008 London would celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Cuban
revolution.

Ms Guevera received a standing ovation and said: Socialism is still
a possibility and solidarity is of paramount importance. The road is
long but as Mother Teresa said: ‘Life is life—defend
it’!

Earlier Mr Adams said: We must have fair trade over free trade and
we must have a UN that is reformed, modernised, and strengthened.